The Story of a Childhood Love
by e t e r n a
Summary: after the death of a special loved one, sakura becomes distant and far away. syaoran makes an appearance years later, still in love with a certain cherry blossom...
1. prelude

Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.  
  
  
  
  
The Story of a Childhood Love  
-1.2-  
  
  
"Syaoran! You have to pretend!"  
  
"This is sooo dumb!"  
  
"Please?" Sakura, at the age of six, looked as if tears were about to spill at any moment. *sniff sniff* "I   
promise... that after this.. we don't have to play anymore- for the rest of the day..."  
  
"Oh, fine, I'll be the dumb dad..." A furious pout graced his face, but a tiny smile was tugging at the corner   
of his lips. He had a secret crush on his little Sakura, and cherished every single moment he spent with her.   
  
"Really?! Thank you soo much!" Sakura was ecstatic, and after hugging Syaoran, she resumed her game   
of House, talking to herself here and there. She just happened to miss the crimson blush that tainted her   
dear husband's cheeks. Soon, sunset came and passed, and the dark shadowed the day's end.   
  
"Sakura, Syaoran, time for dinner!" Nadeshiko beckoned them into the warm house. The Li family had   
been invited over to the Kinomoto household for dinner, as they were all old-time friends.   
  
"Ah, so monster's back from playing outside." Touya couldn't help but smirk. Which of course earned   
him a purple and green spot on his shin.   
  
"Oh mommy, are you going away?" Sakura looked at her mother in pure innocence.   
  
"Yes dear, I have to do a little shoot in France, but I promise that's the very last one!" Nadeshiko tapped   
Sakura on the nose and Sakura giggled.   
  
"Then you'll be home forever, and ever, and ever!"  
  
"My Sakura's the smartest girl in the whole world!" Nadeshiko, however, had a bittersweet tone to her   
voice. She was leaving her modeling career to be a full-time, dedicated mother. Then, she would raise   
Sakura to be a wonderful young lady.   
  
"Syaoran, eat your broccoli." Syaoran's father had a deep and authoritative voice, but everyone present at   
the table knew that he had a gentle and caring soul within.   
  
Syaoran broke his reverie on Sakura and stared at his food. 'Eww, broccoli. They're ... not tasty.'  
  
Sakura saw the look on Syaoran's face and grinned. "You'll grow up to be big and strong, like a tree!"  
  
Touya face-faulted. 'Nani?!?'  
  
Syaoran just smiled at Sakura and ate the broccoli.   
  
* * *  
A week later  
  
  
"And set! Honey, you did a fabulous job, really." Nadeshiko's manager winked and gave her a break after   
hours of make-up and photography. "We'll miss you, you know?" *sniff* "After all we've been   
through..."   
  
Nadeshiko laughed. Her manager would always be funny, to the very end; after all, they had been close   
friends since high school.   
  
"Thanks. I'll see you in Japan later, ok? I have to go catch my flight back home!" Nadeshiko smiled and   
bid farewell to all her crew and team. Soon, she was boarding the flight back home.   
'Home... where Fujitaka, Touya and little Sakura are...' The gentle rocking of the airplane soon lulled her   
to sleep.   
  
* * *  
A few hours later  
  
  
Sakura woke up on that Saturday morning to meet a dismal sky full of grey clouds. 'Mother is coming   
home today!' That thought was all she needed to race through the bathroom and get dressed. Full of   
enthusiasm, she skipped down the stairs to greet her family for the morning.   
  
"Ohayou! ... what's wrong everybody?" Sakura was shocked at the pale and grief-stricken faces of her   
father and brother. That's when she heard the news anchor on television.   
  
"...Unfortunately, last night, the world-famous model, Kinomoto Nadeshiko died a tragic death on the way   
to her home Japan. On the flight 582 on French Airways, the plane..." 


	2. overture

Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.  
  
Thanks to: ARCHANGEMON, drummagal, sweetliliacblossom, PeachBlossom4416, Brittany, Kan-chan [yes, Syaoran is 6 as well], Chiruri, Sakura Paulina, and Stormy Wind.   
  
a/n: Touya sees Syaoran as a little brother here, since they grew up together. They trust each other, kind of like Fuma & Kamui (X/1999 by CLAMP) when they were young.   
But this brotherly feeling won't last forever. ;)  
  
  
  
  
The Story of a Childhood Love  
-1.2-  
  
  
The wind stung his face as he raced to Sakura's house.  
  
* * *flashback  
  
  
"Syaoran! Syaoran! Come quick!" Fuutie exclaimed as she burst into the training room.  
  
"What?! You know I'm training..." Syaoran was mad because his sister broke off his little daydream about a certain little cherry blossom.   
  
"Sakura's mom died yesterday and--"  
  
'Sakura?!?!' Syaoran dashed off leaving Fuutie behind in the middle of her sentence.  
  
"Really, Syaoran! You could use some manners!" Fuutie sighed. 'But Sakura-chan... I hope she is alright...'  
  
* * *present  
  
  
Doubling over, Syaoran finally reached the bright yellow house, just as it began to drizzle. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell, Sakura burst out the door.   
  
"Sakura!!" Syaoran ran after her, taking no notice of the pain in his legs. They had reached the park, when Sakura slowed down.   
  
Sakura dropped to her knees on the grass and sobbed. "Mommy... why??"  
  
Syaoran involuntarily let out a sigh of relief as he closed the distance between them. He seemed hesitant at first, but then suddenly enveloped her in a fierce hug.   
  
Sakura's emerald eyes widened before she blushed. Her crying slowly diminished and Sakura was able to smile a weak fake smile. "Gomen nasai, Syaoran.. I'm just..."   
  
Sakura unsuccessfully fought off a wave of tears. The image of her mother lingered in her mind. "It's ok... it's alright, don't worry." Syaoran smiled tenderly at his flower.   
  
"But why- why did she leave me?"   
  
"She didn't leave you. She loves you- and you know that."  
  
"I know.. but--"  
  
"Shh, listen. I promise that I will always, always be here for you."  
  
"You will?" She sounded doubtful.   
  
"Yep."  
  
"Demo- why?"  
  
"Be-because.. because.. ano.. I-I-I l-love y-y-you."  
  
Sakura lifted her eyes to meet his. She found herself lost in his eyes, and she realized that Syaoran was her true love. "Syaoran..." She smiled, "I love you, too."  
  
"Really?!" Syaoran had a full-fledged grin on his face.   
  
"Yes, really." Sakura grinned back and pecked him on the cheek.   
  
"SAKURA?? SAKURA!!!" Touya's yell was soon followed by Touya, himself, as he found the two kids in the little grass clearing. "Sakura! Are you ok?!"   
  
Touya was confused at her red and smiling face. She giggled, Syaoran grinned, Touya mumbled something about crazy kids, and they all walked home, unaware of Nadeshiko's smiling presence above them.   
  
* * *   
  
  
Syaoran and Sakura passed the days happily playing at each other's houses, while Tomoyo-chan taped them. Soon, the end of March came, and it was time for Sakura's 10th birthday.   
  
"Ano.. Tomoyo, do you think Sakura will like it?" Syaoran was on the phone scratching his head, having just told Tomoyo what his present for Sakura was.   
  
"Ohohohoho! I'm sure she will love it!"   
  
"Really?" The smart and earnest reply.   
  
"Hai!" Tomoyo-chan was absently dreaming about Sakura's wedding dress.   
  
"*Whew* Thanks, Tomoyo, I was worried she would think it was too weird. Hey Tomoyo,"  
  
"Hmm?" Now it was Sakura's dress for the baby shower.   
  
"Do you like Eriol?"  
  
"N-n-n-nani?!! Of course not, stupid!" Her daydreams had evaporated in a single second.   
  
Syaoran snickered. "Right... Anyway, Fuutie's calling, bye."  
  
"I d-don't!!! And bye!"   
  
'Hee hee hee, I'm going to have a lot of fun harassing Eriol today.' Syaoran smiled mysteriously as he entered his mother's room. "Mother?"  
  
"Syaoran... your father-"  
  
'Father? He's in China right now.'  
  
"-has suffered from a heart attack."  
  
"Nani?! Is he going to be OK?!"   
  
"We don't know. A jet will be arriving in fifteen minutes to take us all back to Hong Kong."  
  
"Jet?! What for?! Why now?!!"  
  
"Since the leader is in danger of death, the elders have decided to begin your training immediately." Yelan studied her son's face of shock, fear and anger.   
  
"Demo-!"   
  
"I'm sorry, Syaoran. We have no choice, but to obey."  
  
"Sakura--!"  
  
"SYAORAN! Listen to me, the training will be very serious- consequences are very severe! Syaoran!"  
  
Syaoran was gone, stopping by his room for his gift for Sakura. Thoughts of Sakura ran through his mind as he ran to Sakura's house. He pounded on the door, but nobody answered. The Kinomotos were all out visiting Sakura's grandfather in the country.   
  
"SAKURA!!! Where are you?!" Syaoran yelled until he broke down. He knew he would not be able to return to Japan until his training was over. That meant he would not be able to see his Ying-Fa for years! It wasn't supposed to happen like this!  
  
Angrily, he punched the tree nearby so hard that it shook and made his fingers bleed. Scowling, he cursed at his heritage and elders. After he had cooled down, he sadly left the teddy bear and rose on her doorstep, and then turned and fled.   
  
'I'll be back Sakura, I promise. Then we'll be together forever.' Wistfully, he left the yellow house to take on his duty and responsibility of being the leader of the famous Li Clan.   
  
* * *  
April 1  
  
  
"Ha ha ha, Kaijuu's getting off the car."   
  
"Onii-chan!!" Sakura glared at her brother just before the guy winced in pain, grumbling about kaijuus and monsters.   
  
They had just returned from their trip to Grandfather's house.   
  
"Eh? What's this?" Fujitaka picked up the bear and rose off the porch.  
  
Sakura skipped up to her father and inspected it- and gasped. "That's mine, thank you very much!" Sakura pecked her father and raced inside.   
  
She plopped onto her bed and reached for the phone. She dialed and listened, but nobody picked up. She frowned and dialed again, having the same result. 'Eh?' Confused, she dialed Tomoyo's number.   
  
"Moshi moshi, Daidouji Tomoyo speaking."  
  
"Tomoyo-chan?"  
  
"Sakura-chan?!"  
  
"Hai, Tomoyo-chan" She smiled into the phone.   
  
"Happy Birthday! I'm so glad you're finally back! How was your trip?"  
  
"Oh, it was sooo fun! I have so much to tell you! But what happened to Syaoran?"  
  
"Nani?"   
  
"I tried calling him, twice. Ano.. I um.. well, I-I think he gave me a bear and a rose for my birthday..." Sakura blushed.  
  
"Really?" Tomoyo grinned evily.   
  
"Hai! Because it says Ying-Fa on the collar of the teddy bear."  
  
Tomoyo knew only Syaoran called Sakura Ying-Fa. "Well, then, Syaoran did send you the teddy bear, ne?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess.."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I tried to call him-twice, but the operator said that that number didn't exist."  
  
Tomoyo frowned. "Demo, I just talked to him yesterday- about his birthday present for you!"  
  
"Really? So the teddy bear is from him, then, ne?"  
  
"Hai, I can affirm that."   
  
"Then what happened? Why did he leave it outside?"   
  
"Sakura-chan"  
  
"And where is he? How come his telephone number doesn't work?"  
  
"I'm sure nothing happened- don't worry. I'll come over to your house asap."  
  
"Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan. Ja!"  
  
"Ja ne."  
  
As Tomoyo hung up the receiver, she frowned. Syaoran's number didn't work? Didn't he tell her yesterday that he was going to give the presents to her at their little birthday party? She looked around the room, at the decorations hung just for Sakura. The room seemed empty and lonely, now that the party was off. It was just going to be between the three of them... 'Syaoran, what happened? Sakura-chan and I are so confused.' 


	3. sonata

an: i know i haven't updated in a long time   
but i don't intend on continuing this story   
because i'd be stealing somebody's plotline   
2 weeks after i published this story, i saw   
another story with the exact same plot line   
so i don't want to be a thief ;) i know it   
is unfair to the people who actually wanted   
to read it, and i'm really sorry (i am very   
touched that you guys reviewed! Ü)   
  
i plan on starting a new story. i actually   
had this story in mind before i started _The   
Story of a Childhood Love._ Well, thatz all   
thanx for reading this, ciao.   
  
  
love always  
eterna 


End file.
